1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a flip-up type portable phone, and more particularly to a hinge mechanism for opening and closing a flip cover of such a flip-up type portable phone.
2. Description of the Related Art
Currently, portable phone units such as CT-2 and PCS phones are widely used. For such portable phones, there is a bar type construction and a flip type construction. Although both the bar type and flip type portable phones are currently used, the tendency toward the use of flip type portable phones is increasing gradually.
The reason why the use of flip type portable phones is currently increasing is because a flip cover provided at a phone body serves to protect a plurality of keys on the phone body while also serving as a reflecting plate for sound, thereby enhancing the sound sensitivity. In addition, the flip type construction provides advantageous features in terms of a compactness in the phone body.
Such flip type portable phones have a construction in which the flip cover has a hinge shaft arranged at the lower end of the phone body. That is, the flip cover is pivotally coupled to a hinge mechanism mounted to the lower end of the phone body so that it is pivotally moved between an open position and a closed position.
In the future, such portable phones will have a more compact and light construction while maintaining a given distance between the speaker and the microphone. The distance between the speaker and the microphone is so called a xe2x80x9cconversation distancexe2x80x9d and may be about 14 cm.
An example of such a hinge mechanism used in flip type portable phones to open and close the flip cover by a desired conversation angle is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,629,979 issued to James D. Domoleczny and assigned to Motorola, Inc., U.S.A. However, this hinge mechanism has a problem in that it occupies a large portion of the phone body. For this reason, such a hinge mechanism is unfavorable to compactness of portable phones. Furthermore, this hinge mechanism gives a restriction in design because it is configured to mount the hinge shaft of the flip cover to the lower end of the phone body.
Another hinge mechanism for flip type portable phones configured to open and close the flip cover from the phone body by a desired conversation angle is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,661,797 issued to Ari Leman et al and assigned to Nokia Mobile Phones Ltd., Finland. Similar to the above mentioned case, this hinge mechanism is arranged at the lower end of the phone body. As a result, there is a problem in that the hinge mechanism occupies a large portion of the phone body. Therefore, such a hinge mechanism is unfavorable to compactness of portable phones. This hinge mechanism also gives a restriction in design because it is configured to mount the hinge shaft of the flip cover to the lower end of the phone body.
The above mentioned problems involved in conventional constructions are opposed to the compactness and lightness in construction required for the competitiveness of portable phones. In other words, such problems result in a degradation in the competitiveness of portable phones. Moreover, conventional flip type constructions restrict a diversification in design considered to be important in portable phones.
Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a flip-up type portable phone in which a speaker is mounted in the interior of a flip cover, so that the space for occupying the speaker is eliminated from a phone body, thereby enabling the phone body to be compact.
Another object of the invention is to provide a hinge mechanism for a flip-up type portable phone in which a pair of hinge assemblies adapted to open and close a flip cover are arranged at opposite sides of a liquid crystal display (LCD) module disposed at the upper portion of a phone body, so that the flip cover can be opened by an upward pivotal movement thereof carried out about hinge shafts arranged at opposite sides of the LCD module.
Another object of the invention is to provide a hinge mechanism for a flip-up type portable phone including a hinge assembly arranged at one side of an LCD module disposed at the upper portion of a phone body or a pair of hinge assemblies arranged at opposite sides of the LCD module, the hinge assembly or assemblies providing a hinge shaft or shafts for a flip cover.
Another object of the invention is to provide a hinge mechanism for a flip-up type portable phone including a pair of hinge assemblies arranged at opposite sides of an LCD module disposed at the upper portion of a phone body, each of the hinge assemblies having a rectangular parallelepiped structure.
Another object of the invention is to provide a flip-up type portable phone having a design according to a novel concept, thereby overcoming a design limitation involved in portable phone constructions themselves.
Another object of the invention is to provide a flip cover for a flip-up type portable phone capable of containing a speaker therein, and allowing the speaker to be electrically connected to a phone body.
Another object of the invention is to provide a flip-up type portable phone in which a speaker is spaced and isolated from an antenna unit mounted to a phone body, so that it is subjected to minimum electric wave influence by the antenna unit.
Another object of the invention is to provide a flip-up type portable phone in which a speaker is spaced and isolated from a battery pack separably attached to the back surface of a phone body, so that its influence by heat generated from the battery pack is minimized.
In accordance with one aspect, the present invention provides a flip up type portable phone comprising: a phone body including an antenna unit arranged at an upper end of said phone body, a liquid crystal display module arranged below said antenna unit, said liquid crystal display module serving as output means for allowing a user to identify an output displayed thereon, a key pad arranged below said liquid crystal display module, said key pad serving as input means, and a microphone unit arranged below said key pad; a flip cover mounted to said phone body in such a fashion that it is opened and closed with respect to said phone body without covering said liquid crystal display module, said flip cover serving to protect said key pad; a pair of hinge means mounted to said phone body at opposite sides of said liquid crystal display module, respectively, said hinge means serving to mechanically couple said flip cover to said phone body; and fixing means for fixing said flip cover to said hinge means; whereby said liquid crystal display module is always exposed so that said output displayed thereon is always identified irrespective of an opened or closed state of said flip cover.
In accordance with another aspect, the present invention provides a hinge mechanism for a flip-up type portable phone comprising: a hinge housing made of a metal material and provided with a plurality of locking protrusions formed using a slitting process; a first cover made of a plastic material and assembled in said hinge housing, said first cover having a plurality of locking holes formed at positions corresponding to those of said locking protrusions in an assembled state of said first cover, so that said locking holes are engaged with said locking protrusions in said assembled state, respectively, said first cover also having additional locking holes; a hinge shaft arranged in such a fashion that it extends transversely through said first cover and said hinge housing, said hinge shaft having an inner end disposed in a space defined by said first cover assembled in said hinge housing, and an outer end disposed outside said space and provided with a coupling member centrally having a coupling hole; a hinge cam fixed to said inner end of said hinge shaft and provided with opposite curved surfaces, and opposite flat surfaces arranged in an alternating manner with said curved surfaces, one of said curved surfaces having an inflection point at a position spaced by a predetermined angle in an opening direction of a flip cover included in said phone from a position corresponding to a predetermined angular position of said flip cover, so that said flip cover is not stopped at said predetermined angular position during opening and closing movements thereof; a plate spring interposed between said hinge cam and a side wall formed at one end of said hinge housing and adapted to apply an elastic force to said hinge cam at one side of said hinge cam, said plate spring being in slidable surface contact with said surfaces of the hinge cam during a rotation of said hinge cam; first elastic means arranged at the other side of said hinge cam and adapted to apply an elastic force to said hinge cam at said other side of said hinge cam, said first elastic means being sequentially compressed and stretched in said space defined by said first cover during said rotation of said hinge cam; and a second cover made of a metal material and adapted to support said first elastic means at the other end of said hinge housing, said second cover having locking protrusions formed at positions corresponding to those of said additional locking holes of said first cover and engaged with said locking protrusions, respectively, so that it is coupled to said first cover.